Book description
In the early fifteenth century, as winter falls away, the people of
Albania know that their fate is sealed. They have refused to negotiate
with the Ottoman Empire, and war is now inevitable. Soon enough dust
kicked up by Turkish horses is spotted from a citadel. Brightly coloured
banners, hastily constructed minarets and tens of thousands of men fill
the plain below. From this moment on, the world is waiting to hear that
the fortress has fallen. The Siege tells the enthralling story of the
weeks and months that follow - of the exhilaration and despair of the
battlefield, the constantly shifting strategies of war, and those whose
lives are held in balance, from the Pasha himself to the technicians,
artillerymen, astrologer, blind poet and harem of women that accompany
him. Brilliantly vivid, as insightful as it is compelling, The Siege is
an unforgettable account of the clash of two great civilisations. As a
portrait of war, it resonates across the centuries and confirms Ismail
Kadare as one of our most significant writers.
